The present invention relates to a game device for home or business use, more particularly to game apparatus, game displaying method, game score evaluating method and a recording media recorded with a game program thereby making it possible to more attract operator""s (hereinafter may be referred to as xe2x80x9cplayerxe2x80x9d) interest in a game.
There have so far been proposed a wide variety of game devices for home use for men and women regardless of their age to amuse themselves by playing with. The game devices for business use, the other type of typical games, have been played by a lot of game lovers who are willing to check their skill level of playing the game or seeking recent trends in games.
The game devices of this type each generally comprises input means including a button and a joystick for inputting data based on the manipulation by an operator, a storage media, such as a ROM, in which a game program is stored, displaying means such as a CRT for displaying an image, sound output means for outputting sound and control means for controlling the device by way of executing the game program, forming an image and sound on the basis of the data inputted via the input means and controlling the displaying means to display the image and the sound output means to output the sound. The game program serves as a central role for the game device constructed as above described. There have been developed and provided a wide variety of game programs (hereinlater simply referred to as games as well) in order to meet the requirements of a wide variety of players including beginners to high skilled players of any age group.
The most interesting thing for the players is the final game result, i.e., the records shown as scores or the like. Excitement and a refreshing feelings during the game play are also attractive for the players. Drastic changes of the situation in the game during the play give the excitement and the refreshing feelings to the players. An example of showing the drastic change of the situation in a game so-called xe2x80x9ca puzzle gamexe2x80x9d is described hereinlater.
There has been introduced a puzzle game of displaying an object at an upper. part of set area in a display image wherein the object successively appears at a predetermined intervals and each falls down to a lower part, making a player move the object right and left and rotate to be arranged at a bottom part of the set area. In this puzzle game, the objects arranged at the bottom of the set area are programmed to be deleted at once in a predetermined situation, for example, when two objects in a same form are arranged at the bottom of the set area adjacent to each other, both of the objects are deleted at once. The players compete for the numbers of the deleted objects. This kind of games are simple in rule and easy to operate, therefore being popular among wide range of generation for a long time, despite these are not remarkably outstanding. There has been proposed a same kind of game having two windows in a display image at a same time and enabling two players to compete against each other. In this competing type puzzle game, the players are able to display obstacles at the window of the competitor, wherein the obstacles are not deleted in the usual predetermined situation, so that the players can enjoy fighting feelings.
Players can feel the drastic change in this kind of puzzle game when a big block including many of the objects is deleted. In some of this kind of games, the block is not simply deleted, but deleted with a big sound as if many balloons split at once. Therefore the players can get refreshing feelings and excitement visually and auditory. Furthermore, this kind of drastic change in the game can cause excitement among the bystanders watching the game play.
However, the players playing the conventional above described games can recognize the drastic change in the game in an ongoing image only once at real time. In this game, the players cannot see the drastic change in the game again to recall the excitement. Furthermore, the bystanders who cannot grasp the situation of the game nor the operation of the game cannot enjoy the excitement occurring from the drastic change in the game. The players, sometimes, themselves get more excited by feeling the excitement occurred among the bystanders who are watching the game play. This kind of multiplier effect cannot be expected if the bystanders are not excited enough. Conventionally, there has been provided as well a kind of games which comprises a storage media and can store certain images of the game during the play into the storage media. In this type of the game, the stored images are shown on the screen as replay images for a while by interrupting the game during the play. This kind of games encounter a drawback described hereinlater. In order to display the replay images, the game play is interrupted and the players who does not want to see the replay image cannot enjoy the game by the interruption.
In conventional games, the results are thought to be important and the records of the game is calculated according to the result of the inputted data based on the manipulation by the players. There are few operations for the player to operate in order to get high scores and it is easy for the high-skilled players to get high scores, therefore they are not satisfied with playing the game.
Furthermore, in conventional compete type games, a player can insert an obstacle, which can inhibit the movement of the objects being controlled by a competitor, to the competitor""s window. For example, in case of the puzzle game, the player can insert the obstacle, which cannot be deleted in the usual predetermined situation in which the usual objects are deleted, to disturb the game play of the competitor. Therefore, the competitor who is disturbed by the player cannot feel continuity of the game play before and after the disturbance and cannot enjoy the most of characteristic of the game.
Therefore the object of this invention is to provide a game device, method of displaying images of games, method of analyzing the results of games and a storage media, in which a game program is stored, for giving refreshment feelings and excitement to both players of the game and bystanders watching the game, giving a lot of alternatives in operation of the game to get high-scores and making the most of characteristic of the game.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus comprising:
image producing means for producing an image; and
drawing control means for drawing the image produced by said image producing means as a real-time image on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed, in which said game apparatus further comprising:
storing means for storing information on the image drawn on said storage area; and
deciding means for deciding, according to the information on the image stored in said storage area, whether an image should be reproduced or not;
said drawing control means drawing the image decided to be reproduced by said deciding means as a reproduced image while drawing said real-time image on said storage area.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus comprising:
display means for displaying an image;
image processing means for processing the image to be displayed on said display means in response to an instruction given by an operator;
storing means for storing information on said image for a reproduced image to be displayed on said display means;
judging means for judging whether there is caused a situation satisfying a predetermined condition or not; and
reproducing means for displaying not only said image but also the image reproduced on the basis of the information stored in said storing means when said judging means judges that there is caused a situation satisfying said predetermined condition.
Furthermore, said drawing control means may open a window on the real-time image drawn on said storage area so as to draw the reproduced image on said window.
Moreover, the game apparatus may comprise two display units each having a display screen capable of displaying the image drawn on said storage area,
said one of said two display units displaying said real-time image on its display screen, and the other of said two display units displaying said reproduced image on its display screen.
Furthermore, said drawing control means may allow said storage area to be drawn not only the reproduced image but also appended information relevant to said reproduced image therein.
Moreover, said deciding means may decide to reproduce the image corresponding to the real-time image representing a game situation when a variation of the game situation represented by said image exceeds a predetermined level.
Moreover, said deciding means may decide which of the images is reproduced in response to an instruction given by said operator.
Moreover, the game apparatus may further comprise sound means for producing or storing a sound to be outputted and synchronized with said reproduced image drawn on said storage area.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus being capable of making an operator play a game together with a competitor, comprising:
image producing means for producing an image;
drawing control means for drawing the image produced by said image producing means on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed; and
deciding means for deciding whether a faculty of said competitor should be impaired or not;
said drawing producing means producing an image which makes the competitor""s understanding weak and said drawing control means drawing said image on said storage area when said deciding means decides that said faculty of said competitor should be impaired.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image utilized for masking part of the image to be recognized by said competitor.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image including a background to be recognized by said competitor, and said background having a color changed from the original color of the background of said image.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image including a background to be recognized by said competitor, and said background having patterns changed from the original patterns of the background of said image.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image including a background to be recognized by said competitor, and said background having a brightness changed from the original brightness of the background of said image.
Moreover, the game apparatus may further comprise record means for recording the image produced by said image producing means in response to an instruction given by said operator,
said drawing control means draws, on said storage area, an image stored in said recording means as a background to be recognized by said competitor.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image including an object to be controlled by said competitor, said object being transformed from the original object in said image.
Moreover, said image producing means may produce an image including an object to be controlled by said competitor, said object having a color changed from the original color of the object in said image.
Moreover, said drawing control means may draw objects on a window opened on said storage area, said objects being possible to arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and deletes a plurality of objects which satisfy a predetermined condition, when said objects arranged by an instruction given by said operator are adjacent to each other.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus comprising:
estimating means for estimating an instruction procedure formed with a series of instructions appropriate to situations in a virtual space;
input means for allowing said operator to input an instruction;
comparing means for comparing an instruction procedure formed with instructions which are actually inputted to said input means by said operator with the instruction procedure estimated by said estimating means; and
evaluating means for evaluating said operator""s control on the basis of the result compared by said comparing means.
Moreover, a game apparatus may comprise:
estimating means for estimating a movement of an object under a predetermined condition in a virtual space;
control means for controlling said object in accordance with an operator""s control;
comparing means for comparing information obtained by said control means with information obtained by said estimating means; and
evaluating means for evaluating said operator""s control on the basis of information on the result compared by said comparing means.
Moreover, said estimating means may estimate an instruction procedure adaptable for making the evaluation of the instructions themselves which are inputted to said input means by said operator during the game regardless of a variation of a game situation incidentally caused by said instructions given by the operator.
Moreover, said estimating means may estimate an instruction procedure adaptable for making the evaluation of the instructions themselves which are inputted to said input means by said operator during the game when a game situation is invariable except the variation directly caused by the instructions given by the operator.
Moreover, said estimating means may estimate an instruction procedure adaptable for making the evaluation of a first instruction itself which is inputted to said input means by said operator during the game before a second instruction is inputted by said operator when the variation in a game situation is larger than a minimum variation in the game situation which can be caused by said first instruction.
Moreover, said evaluating means may have a plurality of predetermined classes representing a skillful grade of the operators to classify the skillful grade of the operator into one of said classes and represents the result of the evaluation as said classified class.
Moreover, said evaluating means may have a plurality of predetermined evaluating parameters and represents values of the evaluating parameters as a radar chart having a plurality of elements, said plurality of elements of said radar chart corresponding to the evaluating parameters.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a game method comprising the steps of:
producing an image;
firstly drawing the image produced in said image producing step as a real-time image on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed;
storing information on the image drawn on said storage area;
deciding, according to the information on the image stored in said storage area, whether an image should be reproduced or not;
secondly drawing the image decided to be reproduced in said deciding step as a reproduced image while drawing said real-time image on said storage area.
Moreover, a game method may further comprise the step of outputting a sound relevant to said reproduced image while displaying said reproduced image.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a game method capable of making an operator play a game together with a competitor, comprising the steps of:
deciding whether a faculty of said competitor should be impaired or not;
drawing an image which makes the competitor""s understanding weak on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image, which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed when the decision is made in said deciding step that said faculty of said competitor is impaired.
It is a sixth object of the present invention to provide a game method comprising the steps of:
allowing an operator to input an instruction;
storing a predetermined instruction procedure formed with a series of instructions; and
making an evaluation on the basis of the similarity between the instruction procedure formed with a series of instructions actually inputted to said input means by said operator and said instruction procedure stored in said storing means.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of the instructions themselves which are inputted by said operator in said inputting step during the game regardless of a variation of a game situation incidentally caused by said instructions.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of said instructions themselves which are inputted by said operator in said inputting step during the game when a game situation is invariable except the variation directly caused by the instructions given by the operator.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of a first instruction itself which is inputted to said input means by said operator during the game before a second instruction is inputted by said operator when the variation in a game situation is larger than a minimum variation in the game situation which can be caused by said first instruction.
It is a seventh object of the present invention to provide a recording media recorded with a game program for controlling a game apparatus comprising a computer, in which said program is executed by said computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:
producing an image;
firstly drawing the image produced in said image producing step as a real-time image on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed;
storing information on the image drawn on said storage area;
deciding, according to the information on the image stored in said storage area, whether an image should be reproduced or not;
secondly drawing the image decided to be reproduced in said deciding step as a reproduced image while drawing said real-time image on said storage area.
Moreover, said reproduced image may be produced in addition to information relevant to said reproduced image in said second drawing step when said reproduced image is produced onto said storage area.
Moreover, said program may further comprise the step of outputting a sound relevant to said reproduced image while displaying said reproduced image in said second reproducing step.
It is an eighth object of the present invention to provide a recording media recorded with a game program for controlling a game apparatus comprising a computer and being capable of making an operator play play a game together with a competitor, in which said program is executed by said computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:
deciding whether a faculty of said competitor should be impaired or not; and
drawing an image which makes the competitor""s understanding weak on a predetermined storage area for temporarily storing the image, which is prepared to be displayed but still has not been displayed, while said image producing means produces an image when the decision is made in said deciding step that said faculty of said competitor is impaired.
It is a ninth object of the present invention to provide a recording media recorded with a game program for controlling a game apparatus comprising a computer, in which said program is executed by said computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:
allowing an operator to input an instruction;
storing a predetermined instruction procedure formed with a series of instructions; and
making an evaluation on the basis of the similarity between the instruction procedure formed with a series of instructions actually inputted to said input means by said operator and said instruction procedure stored in said storing means.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of the instructions themselves which are inputted by said operator in said inputting step during the game regardless of a variation of a game situation incidentally caused by said instructions.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of said instructions themselves which are inputted by said operator in said inputting step during the game when a game situation is invariable except the variation directly caused by the instructions given by the operator.
Moreover, the instruction procedure stored in said storing step may be adaptable for making the evaluation of a first instruction itself which is inputted to said input means by said operator during the game before a second instruction is inputted by said operator when the variation in a game situation is larger than a minimum variation in the game situation which can be caused by said first instruction.
It is a tenth object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus operable to draw objects, which can be arranged at a matrix formed by a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, on a predetermined storing area, and to delete a plurality of said objects which are arranged in series lengthways or slantwise and adjacent to each other by an instruction given by an operator so as to satisfy a predetermined condition, in which the number of columns on which the objects can be arranged in said storing area is more than seven. Alternatively, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus operable to draw objects, which can be arranged at a matrix formed by a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, on a predetermined storing area, and to delete a plurality of said objects having the same color which are arranged in series and adjacent to each other by an instruction given by an operator, in which the number of columns on which the objects can be arranged in said storing area is more than seven. Moreover, the number of columns on which the objects can be arranged in said storing area may be an odd number.